I had to get away from my ongoing building project, so I changed out of my dusty workwear and took the trip to this years Salon QP in London. I’m sure most of my readers would have noticed that I’m fairly passionate about vintage watches and this might be evident in the few new watches I would actually like to own and wear. No doubt there were many pieces with incredible workmanship and amazing complications, but for me the main problem is size. There were almost no watches with a case smaller than 40mm. Yes I have tried owning a 40mm watch, but it felt out of balance on my wrist.
Watch of choice for this evening was my Lemania 2510. This watch has a case size of 30.5mm and is made for it’s owners enjoyment. It’s beautiful without being glitzy. Not to mention it feels incredibly nimble on the wrist.
I enjoy seeing interesting clocks but not many I would tempt to mortgage my house in order to own. The De Fossard Solar Time Clock is one of those clocks. A truly unique piece that is the only clock in the world that can adjust longitude and latitude. I hope to visit George and his wife Cornelia for a closer look at this amazing clock.
There were several very impressive brands from Germany, but one that really stood out for me was independent watchmaker Rolf Lang. The Helwig micro-regulator on his movements must be one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
There were two Austrian brands that caught my attention the first one being Carl Suchy & Söhne who are entering the watch world with there Waltz No1. I have to admit I really like the design inspired by Viennese modernism. A feature that stands out is how the sub second hand has been substituted for a disk that aligns with the dial pattern every 60 seconds. It’s not an in-house brand, but features a very nicely decorated Vaucher Fleurier 5401. I would very much like to see a version that shaves off 4.5mm of the 41.5mm case.
The second Austrian brand is Habring2. A very interesting family run brand started by Maria and Richard Harbring. Their watches are in my book a perfect balance of technical innovation and elegant design. Guess what? They have cases that start at 36mm and upwards! One of the few new watches out there I actually want and could wear! Now I just need to start saving!
The Lonville 59 Blue GMT Calibre: LV1 micro rotor is an elegant dress watch with a particularly beautiful starburst dial. Unfortunately for me this is at least 4.5mm too large. As you can see on the photo, the lugs stick out from each side of my wrist. But then again perfect for someone with a larger wrist than me!
And then you have lot’s of watches suited for bodybuilders and gangsters. I could go on about my opinion on these watches, but as my grandmother told me; If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say it.
I apologise for the low photo quality, but my humble camera phone did it’s best in the given light conditions.
4 Responses to Salon QP London 2017
Well done Mitka; an interesting review of QP and a nice demonstration of why dinner-plate watches do not suit all wrists. You should have worn a tie.
I wore a bowtie on the Thursday opening night, but by Saturday the bowtie had to go;)
Mitka,
Thank you for sharing, I too find most of the larger watches too large for my wrist. I’m about average at 5’11 168lb. They feel awkward. Anyway, I did like the one you noted as well! Thank you for sharing. It was great to see something new! And please, you looked quite debonair! Awesome!
Gary
Well the watch should fit you. It’s like wearing a suit that is to big…